Oklahoma, defensive coordinator Ted Roof part ways

Field Level Media|published: Thu 4th January, 18:37 2024

Oklahoma defensive coordinator Ted Roof watches the Sooners warm up before a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the TCU Horned Frogs at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Friday, Nov. 24, 2023. Oklahoma won 69-45. credits: BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ted Roof will not return as Oklahoma's defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2024, the Sooners announced Thursday.

Oklahoma and Roof "mutually agreed to part ways," according to the football program's announcement. He had worked at the university for two seasons.

"I have the utmost respect and appreciation for Ted," head coach Brent Venables said in a statement. "I told him Wednesday I made a decision to go in a new direction at defensive coordinator and offered him an opportunity to remain on our staff in a different role. He explained that he has a deep desire to keep coaching and will look to do that at a different school."

Roof, 60, has worked as a defensive coach at the college level since the late 1980s. Previous stints as a defensive coordinator included UMass (1995-96), Western Carolina (1997), Georgia Tech (1999-2001, 2013-17), Duke (2002-03), Minnesota (2008), Auburn (2009-11), UCF (2011), Penn State (2012), NC State (2018, as co-defensive coordinator), Appalachian State (2019) and Vanderbilt (2020).

While at Duke, he was named interim head coach during the 2003 season and promoted to the role full-time for 2004-07. The Blue Devils went 6-45 under Roof.

Oklahoma, which will join the SEC later this year, ranked just inside the top 50 nationally this season in scoring defense (23.5 points per game allowed).

—Field Level Media